Silver Lining
by NeonDomino
Summary: When faced with life altering news, Hermione takes drastic action. Little does she know that it will be the start of a new chapter with not one but two men. Pairings: Hermione/Remus/Sirius, Harry/Draco. Will (obviously) contain slash. Dedicated to Firefly.
1. Chapter 1

This story is dedicated to Firefly.

Pairing: Hermione/Remus/Sirius

* * *

 **Silver Lining**

When faced with life altering news, Hermione takes drastic action. Little does she know that it will be the start of a new chapter with not one but two men.

* * *

 _Every cloud has a silver lining means that you should never feel hopeless because difficult times always lead to something better._

* * *

The Doctor took his time looking over the results from all of the tests that had been taken. He had already seen the bad news that glared up at him from the page, but wanted to ensure he couldn't see anything else wrong with the results.

After a minute, he was satisfied that there was nothing else the matter. He closed the file and looked at the young woman who shifted in her seat, watching him with growing concern.

"Miss Granger," he began softly. Her eyes widened at his words, as though she suspected that there was bad news. _Well_ , he thought, _at least she's prepared for bad news_.

He hated telling people when something was wrong with them that couldn't be helped. Had Miss Granger been another ten or fifteen years older, it wouldn't have been so hard to share the news. But her file stated she was still so young. Too young in his opinion to be dealing with an issue like this.

"I've had all your results back," he continued, before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry to give you this bad news, but you may only have a few short years to become a mother. You have a worryingly low fertility rate for a woman your age."

"How is that possible?"

The Doctor shook his head slightly, leaning forward. "A woman's fertility usually declines with age. Age is a large factor in the more common cases, particularly due to the decline in the quality of eggs released. Women tend to be most fertile in their twenties. I couldn't find anything on the results that would indicate why this has happened, though there are more tests we can run."

"You said a few short years. Do you have a more detailed time-frame?"

The Doctor shook his head once more. "We have no previous results to base this on so there's nothing to compare it to. The tests you've taken so far can't show us that. There are more tests that we can do to determine this."

"An estimate then?"

"I would say two to four years from the report," the Doctor stated. "Would you like me to make a referral now? I can also give you the information for a therapist."

"That… that won't be necessary," Hermione said. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and the Doctor stayed silent. If she needed a few minutes to process the news, he wasn't going to rush her.

Before the minute was up, her eyes opened once more and fixed on him determinedly. "Can I get a copy of those results please? I think I'll go private for anything further."

"And the Therapist?"

"I have a friend who can refer me to hers," Hermione said. She pulled her bag closer and stood up.

"I'll have a copy ready for you tomorrow."

"Thank you for your help."

...oOo...

The Healer sighed as she put her wand down.

"How long do I have?" Hermione asked.

"Three years and two months," the Healer said. "Miss Granger, we are able to offer you a referral to extend this time-period, though we can't tell you how well it would work."

"What do you mean?"

"The results vary," the Healer explained. "For one witch, she only got a few extra months, but another managed five years. Until you're on the potion, we're unable to tell you how long it'll give you."

"Can you make the referral for me?" Hermione requested. "Where will I need to go?"

"That's the problem," the Healer said. "The only hospital able to offer this in Europe is St. Mungo's. They are the only one with the qualified specialists in this branch of Fertility. It's a fairly new potion after all and they need to monitor its usage and results."

Hermione nodded slowly. "So that'd mean I'd need to be in London?"

"In England," the Healer said. "Take a few days and think it over. We can make a new appointment and discuss this if—"

"I don't need to think about it," Hermione interrupted. "I want to be in this trial. When can I start?"

"Immediately. Once you move."

"Can you send my referral please? I'll move over there as soon as I can," Hermione requested. "As for having a child before I run out of time… what should I do?"

The Healer smiled. "There are a few options," she said, opening a folder by her desk and pulling out some information.

...oOo...

Hermione sat on her sofa staring blankly in front of her. She was lost in her thoughts wondering if she really could pick up her life and move to England. It wasn't like she didn't know the country, she had grown up there. She had almost gone to school there until her parents decided to ask about other wizarding schools, finally settling on sending her to a school in France.

She didn't have much in France. She hadn't had the best luck making friends at Beauxbatons. She found the girls there to be quite vain, and chose to throw herself into her studies. The boys never looked twice at her. It wasn't until she met Harry during a function at the French Ministry where she worked, that she found a friend.

And Harry was in London. If she went there, she'd at least know him. She wouldn't feel so alone.

The thought of staying in France and being alone caused an ache inside of her. She had been alone for so long and the idea of not having a child of her own to raise made her feel sick. She wanted a family for her own.

She could find a job in England and was sure that her boss would give her an excellent recommendation. Of course, she'd have to work from home when she was pregnant, but was confident that she could find a research role that would allow this.

Hermione wasn't known for impulsive choices, but to stay in France meant that she'd lose something that she'd never forgive herself for: the chance to have a child.

After all, she had some money from when her parents passed during the war. Though the war was in England, there was some effect throughout the rest of Europe and her parents unfortunately were casualties. She could sell her flat and get something in London too, so she had no concerns about finding accommodation.

She sighed as she looked around her flat. It was finally decorated just how she wanted it. Her books had finally been alphabetised and stored properly. She had finally finished painting the hallway. The thought of leaving saddened her, though she knew she could decorate another place.

It was just the new start that scared her. What if Harry's friends and family didn't like her? What if any new colleagues didn't like her?

"I'll never know until I try," she murmured to herself, making the choice before she could change her mind. "I'm going to move back to England."

Hermione headed across the room and to the desk by the large window. She sat down in the comfortable chair and reached into the desk drawer, pulling out a piece of her favourite parchment.

She grabbed the quill from the side and dipped it into the ink, before bringing the quill to the parchment.

"Dear Harry," she murmured as she wrote the words on the paper. He'd know what to do. At the very least, she could use someone to talk to and confide him.

Plus, he wanted to know what the results were. After all, he was the one who insisted she was working herself sick and should get a check-up in the first place.

 _'Dear Harry,_

 _It's been a few weeks since we've been in contact, and I'm sorry for not replying to your letters until now. I was waiting until my results came back before replying to you._

 _I've had some bad news. My immediate health is fine, but there are other issues at play here. Nothing that could cause me harm, but all the same, I want the treatment offered. The treatment isn't offered here, it's only offered in St. Mungo's and it will be for a few years, though I am not entirely sure of the length of time right now. I know it'll be at least three years, but that could last a lot longer._

 _I'd rather not discuss this in a letter, but we could talk if you could firecall me soon?_

 _Love Hermione.'_

Once the letter was sealed, she began to look over the information given to her by the Healer. If she wanted two children, she'd need to get pregnant sooner rather than later.

This meant that she needed to plan what she was going to do. She needed to work out a plan around a pregnancy and another if she failed to get pregnant quickly. She needed to weigh her options.

And most importantly: she needed to work out just _how_ she was going to get pregnant in the first place.

Her eyes moved over to the information she had been given. One stood out from the rest.

Maybe she didn't need a man to do this? Maybe she could visit one of these Cryobanks and apply there?

Hermione felt a slight headache come on and headed towards her bedroom leaving both the information pack and the letter on the table. She'd sleep on it and decide what to do in the morning. She could get information on the sperm-bank at the same time she went out to send the letter to Harry.

She wasn't able to deal with it that night.

* * *

Review Please :)

Information about fertility taken from the NHS website.

Thanks to Shannon for betaing


	2. Chapter 2

This story is dedicated to Firefly.

Pairing: Hermione/Remus/Sirius

* * *

 **Silver Lining**

When faced with life altering news, Hermione takes drastic action. Little does she know that it will be the start of a new chapter with not one but two men.

* * *

 _Every cloud has a silver lining means that you should never feel hopeless because difficult times always lead to something better._

* * *

Sirius tightened his hold around his bed-mate, shifting his body closer. Any distance between them was too much, in his opinion. His fingers traced over the man's stomach, slowly working lower as he leaned in, his lips caressing his neck.

"Sirius?" the man murmured, shifting back into Sirius' embrace, his breath catching as he felt the hardness pressing against his back. Sirius smirked, placing another kiss to his neck.

"Morning, Love," Sirius whispered back, his fingers moving lower still. "You're looking good enough to eat."

"You say that every morning," came the reply. "You're insatiable!"

"Not my fault. You bring this out in me," Sirius whispered. "But if you want me to stop…" Sirius began moving his hand, but a hand grabbed his, holding it in place.

"Fine, I'm insatiable too. Just don't stop touching me."

"I wasn't planning on stopping. Get on your back."

"So romantic," the man muttered, giving Sirius a fond look as he rolled onto his back and put his arms behind his head.

Sirius crawled down the bed and settled between his lover's thighs. He leaned forward, his lips finding a freshly healed scar. He placed a soft kiss to the skin, before following the scar lower. His tongue darted out, tracing it and earning a gasp.

He smirked as his lips found a hard erection and he eyed it eagerly before bringing his lips down, causing the man on the bed to moan softly.

"Sirius? Remus?" The shout was followed by a loud knock at the door.

"Harry? Can you…" Remus gasped, pushing Sirius away slightly and turning his head towards the closed door, thankful that Harry hadn't just walked in. "Can you just start on breakfast or something? We'll come downstairs when we're… we're up."

"Or more precise, when Remus is down," Sirius called. There was no reply, just the sound of Harry running down the hall in his attempt to get away from the door as quickly as possible. Sirius turned his attention back to Remus. "Now, where were we?" he asked, licking his lips and moving his gaze down Remus' body.

"I think you were right here," Remus murmured, reaching for Sirius' face and guiding his lips back down.

...oOo…

A little while later, Sirius and Remus headed to the kitchen to find Harry serving up the food. His cheeks were red and he couldn't look them both in the eye.

"Well, at least you've learnt to knock," Sirius said, grinning widely as he dropped down into his chair. Remus headed to the counter to make some tea, looking extremely satisfied.

"Yeah well, I've learnt my lesson," Harry replied, not wanting to think back to the few times he hadn't knocked on closed doors in Grimmauld Place, which led him to seeing parts of Remus and Sirius that he could have gone his whole life without seeing.

"We weren't expecting you so early today. Is something the matter?" Remus asked, offering Harry a change of subject.

"I got an owl from my friend in France," Harry said, choosing not to mention what he had heard on the other side of the bedroom door. "I think she needs a friend to talk to. She wanted me to firecall, but I think she needs me there. I'm getting a portkey in a couple of hours."

"Is this the one you met from Beauxbatons?" Remus asked curiously.

Harry nodded, "Hermione isn't the type to ask for help. I got the impression that she needed some support."

"How long are you going for?" Sirius asked.

"A couple of weeks," Harry replied. "It's all I could get off from the hospital on such short notice."

Sirius grinned. "Does Draco know you're going to stay with someone?"

"Malfoy? What has… he has nothing to do with this!" Harry stated, his eyes moving away from them once more. "Draco is only a colleague at work, nothing more."

"Draco now, is he?" Sirius teased. "You know, I could put in a good word for you, if—"

"No, don't say anything," Harry quickly interrupted. "I don't have too long before the portkey so tell me what's new?"

Sirius shrugged slightly as Remus placed the two cups on the table in front of the dark-haired wizards, choosing to lean against the counter with his own. The pair shared a tired look, the satisfaction from their activities fading.

"Latest surrogate fell through," Remus murmured.

"Latest?" Harry asked. "I didn't know you found another one?"

"Well, we weren't going to say anything until there was a baby," Sirius said. "And she changed her mind. We don't know why—"

"Because of my condition." Harry could hear the bitterness in Remus' tone. "We had hoped that after the war and with the award because of my part in the war, people would look at me and my kind in a different light. We had hoped that people would give me a chance, but the Wizarding community still has a long way to go to get over their prejudice."

"If people could just see how wonderful Remus is, they'd have no problems. They just judge him on his condition," Sirius muttered, glaring at his cup.

"The girl before was too interested in Sirius," Remus added with a snort.

"She wanted me to personally impregnate her. She happened to mention she was a pureblood and a good match for the heir to the Black family," Sirius said in disgust. "I made it very clear to her exactly where I like to put my cock, before informing the surrogate agency about the meeting."

"Sounds rough. Is there someone we know that you could ask?" Harry asked, even though the question had been going through their minds countless times now, yet no-one fit.

"The only girls we know are Ginny, Tonks and Luna," Remus sighed. "Tonks… well, we think it would cause complicated feelings since we know how she feels about me. Ginny plays professional Quidditch so it'd put her out of work and I don't think she'd want that. She's said in the past that she doesn't want children for a long time because of work, and Luna travels so much, I can't see her staying home to grow the baby. If anything changes, we'd ask them to do this… but right now, neither of them have time in their lives to be a surrogate for us."

Harry frowned. "I'll ask around again," he murmured. "Have you tried a Muggle agency?"

"Both me and Remus may need to get tested. They'll find Remus' blood tests to be… confusing and will refuse us on the unknown results."

Harry glanced at Remus, who was clutching the cup so hard his knuckles were white, though his expression remained impassive. "If it's meant to be, it'll be," Remus murmured in a soothing voice, his eyes fixed on Sirius. "If not… maybe you alone could—"

"Dammit, Remus, we agreed not to bring that up," Sirius snapped. "Lets not do this again. I want us to have a baby. Not just me. I want him or her to be both of ours. We apply together."

Remus stared at Sirius for a long moment. "You want a child, Sirius. We may not have any other choice."

Sirius pushed away from the table and stormed out of the room. They heard the bedroom door slam a minute later.

"He wants a child more than he lets on," Remus said, turning his full attention to Harry. "We've discussed other methods. I've even suggested… there are some women willing to have a baby and hand the baby over, but Sirius doesn't want that. He thinks it cheapens everything. He won't even consider it as a last resort."

"He'll calm down," Harry murmured.

"He will. It's hard. I would give him anything, but I can't give him this… and because of me, he can't get it himself."

"It's not causing a strain between you?"

"No. Sirius is very clear that as much as he wants a child, he wants me more," Remus said, smiling softly as he recalled the words. "Whereas, Sirius is all I've ever wanted, since before I even knew I was attracted to men. The thought of raising a baby together.. I never thought I'd have children. I resigned myself to being alone when Sirius was in Azkaban. But now… it's only prejudice that's stopping us."

* * *

Review Please :)

Thanks to Shannon for betaing


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone who has already reviewed this fic! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)

* * *

 _Every cloud has a silver lining means that you should never feel hopeless because difficult times always lead to something better._

* * *

Hermione was making herself a sandwich when she heard a knock at her front door. She frowned to herself, wondering who it could be. It wasn't work: they knew she had chosen to take a week off—which was practically unheard of. She wasn't expecting company.

Plus, there weren't many people that could walk through her wards without setting them off, unless the person was a Muggle of course.

She headed over to the door, wand in hand as she looked through the peephole. It took a moment for Hermione to realise she was looking at her best friend. "Harry?"

He glanced towards the door at the sound of her voice. "Hermione!"

She backed up, quickly swinging the door open and grabbing Harry before he could say another word. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I took a couple of weeks off," Harry explained, his own arms wrapping around Hermione. "It sounded like you needed someone to talk to and I thought I'd be that someone. It sounded like too big of a deal to discuss over a firecall."

"I could have mentioned it in a firecall," Hermione argued. "Rather than have you take time off from work. I know how busy you are and that you don't like leaving Draco all alone on rounds—"

"Hey! I was drunk when I said that," Harry said, interrupting her. "I've already told you that I don't care about Malfoy or about working with Malfoy."

Hermione held her hands up defensively. "Okay, so… you're really here! I can't believe it. Come on in. Did you bring a bag?"

"Yup." Harry gestured to the rucksack. "I used the charm you taught me," he said, stepping through the door and putting the bag down. "I couldn't stay away, Hermione. I knew something was up. We're friends and I wanted to make sure you were okay! So, should we talk now, or should I settle in first? Is your sofa comfortable?"

"You'd better hope so," Hermione teased. "You'll be sleeping on it."

Harry gasped loudly, pressing a hand against his chest. "But I'm the guest!" he declared. "Surely you'll offer me the bed and you'll take the sofa yourself?"

Hermione snorted and Harry struggled to keep a straight face. "Guest? More like a pest if you're expecting me to give up my bed. I will, however, make you a sandwich as a peace offering."

She made the sandwiches quickly, setting them down on the table with glasses of pumpkin juice. They set about eating quickly, before Hermione spoke.

"The doctor said that I only have a few years left to have kids."

"Oh? How many is a few? Seven? Eight?"

"Possibly three or four," Hermione said, her eyes fixed on the plate. "I didn't consider children this early in my life, but I want them, someday. I need to make that choice now. Do I have them sooner than I wanted, or do I not have them at all?"

"And?" Harry asked, his eyes wide as he processed the shocking revelation.

"And I'd never forgive myself if I lost my chance," Hermione said. "But I don't have anyone to have a child with."

Harry bit his lip as he considered Hermione's words. His friend was usually straight forward in their friendship, but then again, the problems had never been about her ability to have children. Was Hermione hinting at something?

Harry stared at her, trying to get a read, but Hermione refused to look at him, her face stained red.

Harry wasn't sure what to do. If Draco ever noticed him, a baby with someone else could complicate things. Draco Malfoy didn't seem the type that would accept him knocking up a friend, even if it was as a favour.

But Hermione was one of his best friends and she needed him. Even if she was like a sister to him, there had to be a spell, right?

"I'll do it," he muttered, feeling his own cheeks burn as Hermione's gaze shot up to meet his, shock in her eyes.

"Harry, I wasn't… I wasn't asking you to do this. I was just... no, you don't…"

"I'm so glad you said that," he admitted, breathing a sigh of relief. "But if you change your mind… or keep me in mind as a last resort."

"I will," Hermione replied, grinning.

"One night stand?" Harry suggested, hoping to change the subject from his insane offer.

Hermione shook her head. "That leaves someone out there with a child they don't know about, and a child that will want to know about their father. I couldn't do that. I'd be knowingly keeping the secret and I can't do that."

"You said children. You want more than one?"

"At least one," Hermione said. "I pictured having two, maybe even three. But as long as I have one, I'll be happy."

"Well, go to a sperm bank. Men donate sperm all of the time," Harry said with a grin. "Pick an interesting file, get knocked up. There's no father, just you. And you were saying three or four years?"

"That's another problem," Hermione murmured. "There is a treatment which could give me more time, but it's not certain. To have that treatment, I'd have to go to St. Mungo's and I'd have to move back to England for the duration."

Harry's eyes lit up at the idea. "You're thinking of moving back to England?"

"Yes. No. I… I don't know. I loved growing up there, but I went to school here in France. Can I really give up this life and move back? I don't know anyone."

"I know people. I can introduce you to friends," Harry insisted. "And you have me there."

"That's true," Hermione agreed. "I just need to think about my future. This is a new start. I'll need to work over there until the treatment is over, and I'll be raising children, so working until my first child is born and then working from home, or—"

"Temp work," Harry interrupted. "There are roles that you can do from home. Plus, you have savings. If there's a lull in work, well, you won't struggle."

"I want to keep the savings for the baby," Hermione insisted.

"Well, I have some contacts. I'll ask around if you need me to."

"That'd be perfect," Hermione said. She picked the sandwich up. "Can I really do this?"

"You can and you should. England is only for a few years. You'll have the choice to stay there or return here afterward. You'll have the chance to have children, and I'm there. I mean… just my presence alone should be enough to convince you."

Hermione snorted. "Careful, I don't think there'll be enough space in England for me alongside your massive, inflated ego."

Harry smirked as he reached for his sandwich. "I'm sure we could squeeze you in somewhere."

...oOo...

"So, if I do this, it opens up so many job opportunities for me. I could be a research assistant closer to the birth and after it. 'But what about childcare when I return to work?"

"My friend's mother," Harry said without hesitation.

"Is she good with kids?" Hermione asked.

Harry snorted and nodded. "She has seven and looked after me when I started turning up at the Burrow when I was twelve. Look, there are loads of people that I could suggest—all people I'd trust with my life. I know you don't know anyone, but I wouldn't say this unless I believed in them."

"There really is no argument for me to stay here, is there?" Hermione asked.

"None at all," Harry replied, looking serious. "Hermione, you haven't any close friends here, you've no family either. The only thing keeping you here is this apartment and your job, both of which can be found in England. If you don't like England, you could always come back to France… but trust me, my friends are going to love you. You're family, Hermione. I'll make sure you're treated as such."

Hermione smiled and leaned over, throwing her arms around Harry. "Thank you," she murmured against his shoulder. "But there's the question of my getting pregnant… will you come with me to the place?"

"Of course!" Harry assured her. "When do you want to go?"

Hermione pulled back. "Well, I'm guessing you're worn out from your travels, so I suppose I could wait another day to do it."

...oOo...

Sirius kept the letter hidden in his robes as Remus got himself ready for work. He kissed his partner goodbye as he did every morning, and waited for the sound of him apparating away.

It was only then that he withdrew the envelope from his pocket and examined it.

He cast the usual spells on it, checking for hexes. With Remus' status known, there tended to be some individuals who would send cursed mail to him and Remus, not approving of the relationship or Remus in general. Sirius usually passed these onto the Aurors. Harry suggested that these people were angry that Remus had received an award for his part in the war; Sirius thought the same.

Not wanting anyone to hurt Remus, Sirius screened the mail. It was better that Remus wasn't aware of just how often his happened.

Satisfied that the letter was safe, Sirius ripped the top open, withdrawing the parchment inside. He unrolled it, a feeling of dread settling inside as he looked at the header.

It was from the surrogate agency. The one that had messaged him a couple of days before. They had sent him one letter saying the surrogate had fallen through. He had replied, offering more money.

He hadn't told Remus that they had replied with someone in mind. That they had already contacted her and she had agreed. He hadn't wanted to get Remus' hopes up.

It was a good thing he had stayed silent on the matter. The letter was yet another rejection. The girl had changed her mind on carrying their child.

Sirius knew what the problem was. He insisted that surrogates would be impregnated by both his and Remus' samples at the same time. When the surrogates realised this, they freaked out because Remus' status had to be on the forms.

Angry, Sirius jabbed the parchment with his wand, taking little delight in the sheet catching fire, burning to a crisp in seconds. He soaked the burnt ashes with water before banishing the mess to the bin.

Sirius grabbed his cloak from the hall and headed outside. If the surrogate agency wasn't going to find him someone, Sirius would have to double his own efforts.

After all, someone out there had to be willing to carry a baby for them. Someone who wouldn't turn them away just because of Remus' status.

Sirius was convinced that there were good people out there.

And if he couldn't find one of these good people; well, he'd find someone greedy enough for the money he would offer them.

* * *

Review Please :)

Thanks to Shannon and Jordi for betaing.

To anyone who reads my other stories: I will be getting back to them! I haven't abandoned anything.


End file.
